Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Curbside Vintage Shutters To Upcycle

A Vintage Shutter Kind of Day!

Some "roadside relics" finds their way into my life.
A pair of vintage shutters pose for the camera (a potential idea for their use at the front entry)

Wow, did I really just see what I thought I saw? I had to do a double-take; not only because they were "twins," but because I was in disbelief that they were sitting out for trash! A pair of vintage wooden solid panel shutters! Yes, solid panel! Louvered ones are fine, but solid are much better in my book as they allow for more uses!

Vintage Goodness

Interesting Color

I have longed for a set of these old shutters (or similar) for quite some time. I typically see them at local antique shops for $45 a piece at the very minimum. I figured one day I'd dish out the $90+ for a set, but now I'm glad I waited! I was having a rather so-so day, but things turned suddenly brighter when I placed these babies in the bed of my truck!

What a Find!

Great Hardware

They have quite the weathered and worn patina with a teal type green on one side and brighter (yet dirty) turquoise in a chalk-type paint on the other. The old hinge and clasp hardware is intact in all its rusty glory!

So, what to do with them?

(So many ideas came to mind!) Should I . . .

- Use them as doors for an open shelf unit?

- Create horizontal floating shelves on the wall?

- Build a shelf unit with them?

- Use them as pieces in a future vintage cabinet build?

- Hang them as swinging doors between rooms?

-Hang them as artwork?

GOSH, this list could go on and on!

For Now, These Vintage Shutters are:

SITTIN PURDY . . .
One of them has found temporary use as an accent to my recent barn wood bench.

. . . AND, TOPPIN A RUSTIC SHELF
"Number 2" has also found temporary use . . . as a decorative top to my chippy paint rustic shelf.

The faded green hues of the shelf coordinate with the colors in the family room.

13 comments:

I think you've found the perfect spot for them. I love old shutters. I found some small ones a couple weeks ago at a consignment shop for $10/for the pair. They are tiny compared to yours. Come over and see them on my mantel. I painted one side white, and the other blue for versatility. I would have been overjoyed to find some like yours, for FREE, in the perfect color! Lucky you!!

Thanks Kathy. Yes, I was caught off guard when I saw them out there! Probably a once in a lifetime sort of thing. Funny that you mention using yours on your mantel; I was considering these, even with their height, as a focal on my own mantel. I like that you painted them for versatility! Good idea!

What a find! I was always jealous of people who find great roadside rescue, until recently when I got some of my own! Two huge white shutteres (louvered, yes) that I was so happy to find, among other things. But yours are fabulous! Love the worn patina.

My gosh those are awesome! I love free, roadside treasures the best too! Great finds. Do you have a shop/store? You would do fabulous with all your natural instinct for eclectic and vintage items! I'd shop there!

Hi Patty, thanks for visiting again! You never know what you will find out for trash, so I always have my eyes wide open for good treasures! Thanks for the very kind words too . . . gosh, it would be neat to have a store of eclectic and vintage items for sure!!! I have an Etsy shop where I typically sell home decor I make from reclaimed materials such as scrap metal (the link to my shop is in the top right column of this blog). Of course, that's small beans compared to selling large items like vintage shutters and salt-glazed crocks . . . but perhaps, someday! I'll let you know if I open it so you can come shop there too! :-)

I definitely like them as the back of your bench. You actually get to see it and appreciate it. Thanks for sharing! Stop by my Friday's Five Features and link up this post (and others)! http://diy-vintage-chic.blogspot.com/2013/09/fridays-five-features-no-7.html

Hi Becca! Yes, I agree, it looks nice propped up and you can definitely appreciate it better. I'm sure I'll display it there for a good while until I think up another use for it. Thank you for the invite to your "Friday's Five Features" and thanks for visiting!